News
Beyond Direct Payments report
A new publication by Dr Simon Duffy and Angela Catley from Community Catalysts has been published by Think Local Act Personal (TLAP).
Beyond Direct Payments: making the case for micro-enterprise, Individual Service Funds and new forms of commissioning in health and social care, discusses some of the different ways of commissioning support. They show that there are better ways to organise things so that:
- people can get flexible support
- people can be better connected to their communities
- social workers can work according to their core values
The report states that although direct payments were intended to help people have choices and offer flexibility with how they manage their support, the reality is that for many, the extra work involved with having a direct payment does not make them an attractive or an easy option and people who receive direct payments can experience them as a burden.
However there are alternative ways for local authorities to commission support that go beyond the limitations of direct payments. This report:
- makes the case for new approaches to support people should a direct payment not be the preferred option
- challenges the view that support from micro-enterprises can only be purchased using a direct payment
- offers alternative options for consideration like micro-enterprises, Individual Service Funds and new models of commissioning
Read the full report here:
Interactive Beyond Direct Payments ebook – great for reading online